Project Includes Improvements to Substructure, Full and Partial Deck Repairs, Safety Upgrades

Exit 34A Eastbound Ramp Closed Until Summer, Detour at Exit 35

Project Expected to be Complete in Fall 2025

The New York State Thruway Authority today announced the start of a $3.9 million project to rehabilitate the Interchange 34A (Syracuse - Chittenango - Oswego - I-481) bridge over the Thruway (I-90) at milepost 276.58 in Onondaga County. The ramp bridge was built in 1973 and carries approximately 10,000 vehicles per day.

“The Thruway Authority is investing toll dollars into infrastructure projects such as this bridge rehabilitation at interchange 34A, which thousands of motorists use every day to travel in Central New York,” Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare, Esq. said. “These projects enhance safety and reliability on the Thruway and maintain some of the most affordable toll rates in the nation.”

Rehabilitating bridges on the Thruway system keeps the structures safe and in serviceable condition while extending their service lives. As part of this project, the bridge will have an extended service life of approximately 25 to 35 years.

The project includes full and partial deck repairs, repairs to the substructure, installing new waterproofing membrane and asphalt wearing surface, installation of new joints, as well as concrete repairs on the ramp lanes, mill and inlay asphalt on the ramp shoulders, and asphalt overlay on ramp lanes and shoulders. Additional safety upgrades include new guiderail and reflective striping.

During the first stage of construction, the exit 34A eastbound ramp will be closed to traffic until this summer. Traffic on I-90 eastbound seeking to exit at exit 34A will be redirected to exit 35 (Syracuse - East Syracuse - NY Route 298). During stage two of construction, all ramps will be open to traffic and motorists will experience traffic shifts on the bridge.

Motorists may encounter traffic slowdowns or stoppages on the Thruway during construction. Variable Message Signs will advise motorists of the construction work.

Slate Hill Constructors, Inc. is the project contractor following a competitive bidding process. The project is expected to be complete in Fall 2025. The work is weather dependent, and dates are subject to change.

Motorists are urged to be alert and follow the posted in work zone speed limits. Fines are doubled for speeding a work zone.

For up-to-date travel information, motorists are encouraged to download the mobile app  which is available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic and navigation assistance while on the go. Travelers can also visit the Thruway Authority's interactive  Traveler Map  which features live traffic cameras. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert  e-mails, which provide the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.

About the Thruway Authority

The Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway, built in the early 1950s, is one of the oldest components of the National Interstate Highway System and one of the longest toll roads in the nation. The maintenance and operation of the Thruway system is funded primarily by tolls. The Thruway Authority does not receive any dedicated federal, state or local tax dollars and is paid for by those who drive the Thruway, including one-third of drivers from out of state.

In 2024, the Thruway Authority processed more than 400 million transactions and motorists drove 8.2 billion miles on the Thruway. The Authority’s approved 2025 Budget invests a total of $477.3 million in dedicated funding for capital projects across the Thruway system beginning in 2025, an increase of more than $33 million compared to the approved 2024 budget. The increased investment will lead to work on approximately 61 percent of the Thruway’s more than 2,800 pavement lane miles as well as the replacement or rehabilitation of 20 percent of the Thruway’s 819 bridges.

The Thruway is one of the safest roadways in the country with a fatality rate far below the nationwide index, and toll rates are among the lowest in the country compared to similar toll roads. The Thruway’s base passenger vehicle toll rate is less than $0.05 per mile, compared to the Ohio Turnpike ($0.06 per mile), the New Jersey Turnpike (up to $0.39 per mile) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike ($0.16 per mile).

The lives of Thruway Authority employees, roadway workers and emergency personnel depend on all of those who travel the highway. Motorists should stay alert and pay attention while driving, slow down in work zones and move over when they see a vehicle on the side of the road. The state’s Move Over Law, which was expanded in March 2024, requires drivers to slow down and move over for all vehicles stopped along the roadway. Safety is a shared responsibility.

For more information, follow the Thruway on Facebook, X and Instagram, or visit the Thruway website.

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